Jon McClenahan has worked in the American animation industry for the last 28 years, starting at Hanna-Barbera Australia (where
he learned the ropes, 1980-88), then with his own studio StarToons (1989-2001), followed by a brief stint at Munich Animation
in Germany (2002-2003) after which he worked at Midway Games (2004-06) and then Star Farm Productions (2006-08) before
starting his latest service enterprise, Mack Hammer Productions.
Pixar artist James Baker named Jon as one of 'those few artist/co-workers who took time to show me some tricks and give encouragement when I was starting out' and described his approach to work as follows: 'Jon was, and still is, a very focussed, hard worker and he got a lot of work done by staying in his chair all day and drawing, rather than yakking with co-workers, which was my habit back then. I have since acquired his ability to work hard, day after day, but sadly I have never been able to apply Jon's straightforward approach to creativity; he doesn't second guess himself, and forges ahead with his first idea.'
Forging ahead is what we're about at Mack Hammer Productions. The American animation industry can have a fun, profitable, and bright future if we work together.
A NOTE ABOUT THE SELF-PORTRAIT: That expression is a bit of an in-joke amongst my co-workers (especially those in Australia) who always caricatured me with that look of glaring umbrage. I'm actually a nice guy (ask anybody), but when I get to drawing, I get a little hyper-focused (as James Baker noted above), and so when someone would come to chat with me at my desk, this face is what they usually saw. Don't worry. I won't look at you that way ... I promise.